


Little Things

by OccupationLove



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alfred is good at doing things, Alternate Universe - Human, Ludwig is so in love, M/M, Tumblr Prompt, from dating to married with kids, little events through their life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-06
Updated: 2018-07-06
Packaged: 2019-06-06 07:48:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15190136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OccupationLove/pseuds/OccupationLove
Summary: There were so many reasons Ludwig was in love with Alfred but he'd say that he probably felt it the most when he noticed Alfred doing something small and inconsequential. He wasn't sure how he got so lucky but he was sure that he'd never pick any other life for himself.





	Little Things

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr request from @griffon-gal.  
> Prompt: Ludwig finding out something seemingly innocuous that Alfred can do and he falls hard for him, again.  
> I took a somewhat metaphorical approach to this; I hope you don't mind.

Can you do a backflip?”

Ludwig looked up from his book only to lock eyes with Alfred leaning as far forward as he could over the coffee table, eyes sparkling in absolute wonder. He cleared his throat, “Excuse me?”

Alfred rolled his eyes but his smile told Lud that he wasn’t annoyed, “A backflip. Can you do one?”

He blinked, slowly shifting forward and closing his book, “I’m not sure I’ve ever tried to.”  
  
His boyfriend looked scandalized, “Luddy?? Where is your childhood? Your sense of adventure? How--How could have never tried to do a backflip? And here I thought that maybe Gil was a decent parent. Obviously not. I was mistaken. I hereby revoke any claim he has to call himself awesome.”

Ludwig snorted, “I think you’ll have to fight him for it.”

Al waved his hand as if he was dismissing the claim entirely, “That’s not the point. I think that  _ you _ should try doing a backflip.”

The creaking in his joints from sitting so long said otherwise, “I think I’m a little too old to be trying that.”

Melodical laughter filled the room as Al shook his head back and forth, “You’re younger than me!”

Ludwig felt his face heat up and he shifted his gaze to the side, “So, what? You’re trying to tell me that you can do a backflip?”

Alfred nodded enthusiastically before getting to his feet and widening his stance. Ludwig was just about to tell him to be careful when he took the jump and rotated himself. At first, he was surprised that Al had landed it. Then he saw his boyfriend’s face and felt his heart melt.

Blue eyes were blinking back at him excitedly as Al moved to push his glasses back up his nose. An overly ecstatic smile was stretching across his face trying to illustrate how proud he was of himself. Maybe he wasn’t all that impressed that he knew how to do a flip but Ludwig would be lying through his teeth if he said that Alfred being proud of himself for something so small didn’t send his heart racing.

He grabbed Al’s hand and pulled him into his lap, “Impressive.”

Alfred’s eyes sparkled and his entire face lit up, “You really think so?”

Ludwig’s heart hurt.

* * *

 

Ludwig wasn’t expecting to hear singing when he went upstairs but he wasn’t opposed to the lilting voice of his fiance echoing down the hall either. To be perfectly honest, he hadn’t known that Alfred  _ could  _ sing and yet, there he was leaning against the wall letting it calm his nerves like it was a drug he needed to survive.

He was almost afraid to continue into their bedroom, knowing that his entrance would catch the other’s attention and surely stop the melody drifting through the air. And then he’d have to request for Al to keep singing and while that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, he was sure Alfred would start singing all the time and Ludwig wasn’t exactly sure he was ready for that.

Or had the patience for that.

The lyrics changed very suddenly into German and he had to wonder if the song was written like that or if Alfred was just practicing his language skills. Secretly, he hoped it was the latter. They would be semi-permanently staying in Germany for a while after all. If he remembered correctly--as if he'd forget-- they had agreed to live there two-thirds of the year.

Regardless, he wanted to savor these little moments that happened so rarely that it sent him into awe every time. He didn’t want to become numb to the special things Al did.

He took a deep breath and tried to commit to memory the peace he felt in that moment. Then he took a couple steps forward and opened their bedroom door to find Alfred sprawled in the floor with their new puppy sleeping on his chest. He was holding note cards above his head and there were two German-to-English dictionaries by his side.

Practicing language it was, then.

Ludwig knew he was smiling.

* * *

 

He honestly wasn’t sure what he was watching Alfred do.

He seemed to be twisting a little girl’s hair in between his fingers? They were supposed to meet at the park for lunch because if they were being honest, they weren’t quite ready to stop their honeymoon when they came back to work; but, now he was standing, lunchbox in hand, watching Alfred smile and pull and twist and unknown little girl’s hair into...a braid?

Oh.

Now, he understood. 

He took a seat on a bench just far enough from the two that he wasn’t hovering but close enough that he could hear what they were saying.

“Did you know that dinosaurs were real? Cuz I think that’s super cool but also scary because what if they come back and eat all my toys?”

Alfred chuckled, “I don’t think they’re coming back don’t worry. And if they do I’ll fight them for you.”

The little girl looked awe-struck over her shoulder at him, “Really? Wow, you’re like my own personal superhero!”

He couldn’t see Alfred’s face but he knew it was absolutely beaming, “Yeah! You just remember that I’ll be close by if you need anything!”

Alfred tied her braid off and she set off running toward the nearby playground, “Thank you, mister!”  
  
Ludwig watched Alfred watch her go and wondered for the first time if he wanted kids. Maybe it was something they should talk about. Regardless, he was tired of being estranged from the love of his life; so, he picked up his lunch and made his way to Al’s side to sit down.

“Ludwig, she called me a hero.”

He couldn’t help but snort at that.

* * *

 

“I can’t just let you go in there alone! There’s a dangerous dragon inside, what if she eats you?”

A tiny “rawr” could be heard from the other side of the door and Ludwig had to put a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing. Alfred, on the other hand, was dead serious, “Now, good sir, I need you to take shelter. I’m a trained soldier and I might just be able to take the dragon down with the right opening. Stay clear of the mouth zone she might bite or worse...breathe fire.”

Ludwig stepped out of the way of the door but he was very close to losing his cool and laughing the situation away. Alfred took a deep breath and launched himself through the door, sweeping their daughter into his arms as soon as he saw her, “Aha! I have captured the beast! The zone should be safe now, random citizen!”  
  
Their daughter was giggling endlessly and holding one of her feet close to her chest as if she had been chewing on it. Which, honestly, she was getting too old for but he wasn’t going to lecture her right then. Ludwig placed a hand over his heart in mock surprise, “Oh, goodness! I must thank you, soldier, for saving me from that fearsome beast but I must inform you that I myself have captured something very similar. Actually, I do believe he told me that the dragon you are holding is his _sister!_ Imagine that!”

Alfred gasped, “Oh, no! There’s two of them? How frightening!”

Ludwig nodded trying to look disappointed as he did, “Yes, in fact, I was on my way to deliver the message that it is the time that beasts of this nature usually bathe and this fearsome creature,” he tucked a tiny blonde lock behind his daughter’s ear, “has a brother that would very much like to play with her.”

Elouise gasped and reached for Ludwig, “Bath time!”

Alfred laughed, “I’m never going to understand why they like bathing so much. I thought kids were supposed to hate baths.”

Ludwig shrugged as he began carrying their daughter down the hall, “I wouldn’t question it.”

Al sighed behind him, “No, I suppose not. Don’t forget Eric’s duck toy, it’s on the sink.”  
  
Ludwig rolled his eyes, but he knew he was never going to get used to Alfred being as amazing of a father as he was, “I know.”

His husband kissed his cheek before heading toward the living room, “Have fun with the twins, babe.”

No, he’d never get used to all the little things Al could do. There was no question about why he fell for him; he’d really had no other option, had he? 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Any kudos and comments are appreciated! Thank you for reading!


End file.
